1556
Elector August builds up a collection of copper engravings, woodcuts, hand drawings and maps
1574
The first catalogue lists several map works, including editions of Ptolemy's Geography (from 1513-1525), fortress plans, a Landtafel der fürnehmsten Städte in Deutschland by Tilemann Stella and Philipp Apian's Bairische Landtaflen (1568)
1589
Purchase of Werther's library with over 3,000 volumes and numerous maps
1718
Acquisition of rich map material from the Electoral Art Collection
1733
After the death of Augustus the Strong, the Atlas royal is added to the map collection
1764
Rich increase of the holdings through the takeover of the Count Bünauschen Library
1768
Acquisition of the Count of Brühl's library
1788
Johann Christoph Adelung takes over the management of the Electoral Public Library. This marks the greatest upswing in the history of the map collection. Adelung tries to give the collection a clearly defined goal.
1806
The Dresden Map Collection becomes the most extensive collection of its kind in Germany through planned acquisitions.
1828
Acquisition of the Atlas selectus (1703 in 25 volumes) and numerous valuable individual maps from the estate of King Friedrich August I.

1883
Purchase of Adelung's extensive private map collection consisting of 9,929 maps and views
1891
Separate storage of the collection of individual sheets on the ground floor of the Japanische Palais in special filing cabinets
1899
Dr. Viktor Hantzsch takes over the administration of the map collection of 30,000 sheets and the revision of the single-sheet cataloguing.
1921
The librarian Dr. Gottfried Benndorf is in charge of the map collection until the destruction of the Japanese Palace on 13/14 February 1945. He dies during fire-fighting operations in the library.
1928
250 maps, mainly Saxonica, are acquired from the dissolved Wettinische Secundogenitur-Bibliothek.
1947
The library and map collection move to the building of a former barracks at Marienallee 12.
1956
Completion of a re-signing of the single sheet collection into 4 stock groups by Mr. Hans Pfeifer. The collection comprises 42,658 sheets.
1973
Mr. Walther Haupt takes over the management of the map collection. He endeavours to index the existing holdings.
1988
The map collection comprises 60,388 maps and 24,518 topographic views. Dr. Georg Zimmermann takes over the management.
2002
The map collection moves to the new library building at Zellescher Weg 18 with a map reading room and air-conditioned stacks.

2005
Start of the Map Forum Saxony
As of 03/2012: approx. 19,000 maps and views from the map collection of the SLUB and partner institutions digitised in high resolution
2009 - 2011
DFG project "Innovative access to spatial graphic information: Exemplary digitisation, indexing and presentation of historical maps and views for the Map Forum" 2011 Spatial concentration of map holdings in the Central Library